The only controversy regarding The Last of Us before The Last of Us Part 2 came out was whether Joel had made a morally correct decision in the end. That is obviously not an unbiased or impartial question since anyone could have a different reason as to why they think he was right or wrong to do what he did, but it was a great hook for fans to mull over and has kept its narrative wholly engaging since its original launch two decades ago. Moreover, Joel can be empathized with after players spend the entire game with him and Ellie, especially when she becomes playable in The Last of Us’ winter chapter.
Joel is not around for long in The Last of Us Part 2 before he is severely beaten and eventually killed with a golf club by Abby. Instead, his presence is felt intermittently through flashback sequences depicting lovely moments between Joel and Ellie. Joel is also seen in The Last of Us Part 2’s epilogue flashback, where one of the last meaningful conversations between Joel and Ellie is revealed to the player. It is undeniable that Joel was the backbone of The Last of Us, which is why his death being an inciting incident in the sequel is both the best and worst thing to happen to the franchise.
Why The Last of Us Part 2 Killing Joel is Great for the Franchise
The Last of Us has only had two installments thus far, but an entire franchise based solely around Joel and Ellie would be impractical if it went on for many games. Joel was also already 57 years old in The Last of Us Part 2, meaning that it was unlikely for him to have the stamina for a full trilogy of games unless he was sitting off on the sidelines while settling down in Jackson.
But he certainly could not be a playable character for much longer if intense stealth and gunfights were still a part of its gameplay loop, and Ellie being as young as she is means that her ability to uphold the franchise is inherently greater anyhow. Joel’s death now means that Ellie can hopefully become her own person as someone detached from him, especially since that loss drove her to the point where she abandoned her lover and the son that they were raising together.
Even with Ellie potentially out of the picture, Joel’s death opens the narrative up further to other characters who could appear in future installments. Joel certainly did not have an uncontroversial death, being as significant and devastating as it was, but he is not the only character worthy of The Last of Us’ overall tone and theme. Joel’s character development was fairly rigid and limited, and it is admitted in his dialogue that he would not have changed a single decision he made regarding Ellie, meaning that he had already amounted to his full potential in the narrative.
Why The Last of Us Part 2 Killing Joel is Terrible for the Franchise
However, the effect that Joel’s death has on Tommy, Ellie, and his loved ones makes it a relatively awful outcome for multiple characters. Joel’s death is largely terrible because of the cutthroat path of grief it sends Ellie on, resulting in her becoming an antagonist in many ways and having her selfishly abandon a potentially peaceful life with Dina. This is still an interesting path for Ellie to be on, but the argument could be made that she would never have experienced any sort of malice such as this if it was not for Joel having such a gruesome death.
That is not to say Joel’s death was either deserved or undeserved, but the more important ramification of his death was the real-world implication it had on the conversations fans have about it. The parallels between Joel and Abby are nearly identical, for example, but fans’ adoration toward Joel refuses to let them perceive them out of misguided and honestly hyperbolic grief, considering Joel is a fictional character while developers are actual human beings.
The response to his death would be fine if it had not also incited death threats on those involved with The Last of Us Part 2, and for that reason, Joel’s death will always have that ugly real-world controversy associated with it. Joel pulling Ellie from the hospital and killing Abby’s father could be seen as egregious or empathetic, and therefore it is unfair that Abby killing Joel was not given the same degree of amicable debating since it is essentially the same situation reversed.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available on PS4.
